OATUG Emerging Leaders: Mentor Guide

Program Purpose:

The OATUG Emerging Leaders Mentorship program is an opportunity for young and new professionals to guide their professional and career goals with an OATUG mentor. Mentees will be matched with a mentor that will help them set goals in areas such as networking, career aspiration, being a new manager or general professional development guidance in the applications and technology space. The program is open to current OATUG members and undergraduate students. It is designed to help facilitate guidance, support, and achievement among OATUG members and within the applications and technology space. Mentoring is founded on a reciprocal and comfortable relationship and is mutually beneficial to both mentee and mentor. 


Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the mentor benefits?

  • Develop a meaningful connection with a new/emerging professional 
  • Utilize and expand your professional network  
  • Refine your professional mentoring, coaching, and leadership skills 
  • Learn more about the next generation of professionals and the challenges they face 
  • Use your experience to guide the mentee on their challenges 
  • Gain a variety of opportunities to present with OATUG 

What is expected of mentors?

We want to make sure this a flexible volunteering opportunity for you and your mentee. You both decide how your relationship will work. Here are some helpful guidelines:  

  • Patience – let your mentee be the driver of the relationship. Allow (and encourage) your mentee to initiate contact and to lead the discussions.  
  • Consistency – establish your meeting times and “locations”. 
  • Guidance and Support – Help your mentee set, track, and adjust their goals.  
  • Responsiveness – Please aim to respond to all communications within a few days. 
  • Professionalism – Approach your mentoring relationship with an open mind, professionalism, and respect.

What is not expected of mentors?

  • To offer a job or internship to your mentee
  • To initiate all contact
  • To have all the answers

If you have any problems or concerns about your mentoring relationship contact Amelia Neiger at aneiger@OATUG.org.
Suggestions on building your mentoring relationship:

Get to know your mentee.

  • Understand the Mentee’s short-term and long-term objective and what they would like as the outcome of the engagement. 
  • Get to know your mentee through questions about their interests, experiences, and background.  
  • Follow up with any important steps that the mentee has taken (such as leadership experience, volunteering, continuing education) and ask what they learned.  
  • Be an active listener. Give feedback to what the mentee says and avoid interrupting.  

Set goals with your mentee.

  • Setting goals with your mentee at the beginning of the relationship is critical because it gives directions to the relationship and guides you to how to help your mentee.  
  • If your mentee does not know their goals, this can be your first mentoring moment. You can ask questions like: “What made you sign up for the mentoring program?” or “What are your specific concerns and questions right now?” or simply “How can I help?” 
  • Also, remember that goal setting is a process, so make sure to check in and ask your mentee if their priorities are changing or evolving.  

Set expectations with your mentee.

  • Determine how and when you will communicate with each other. 
  • If your mentee remains unresponsive for a prolonged period of time, please contact Amelia Neiger at aneiger@oatug.org. 
Suggested Timeline:

  1. Mentor Program Orientation

    The orientation provides an initial opportunity to meet your mentor, Emerging Leaders Committee Chair, and the OATUG Staff Liaison. We’ll briefly review the program goals, answer questions, and establish the mentorship goals and planned meetings. It may be helpful for the mentor/mentee to discuss any preparation they should do before the next meeting. (For example, the mentee can bring specific questions and the mentee can provide some helpful resources specific to their interests.)

  2. Personal Experiences & Professional Goals

    The mentee can share their experiences with their mentor. (How did you get to where you are currently? What do you like about your current job? What steps have you taken to achieve your goals?) The mentor can provide a little background on their own professional trajectory. This is a good opportunity for the mentor and mentee to discuss potential avenues to achieve their targeted objective.

  3. Discussion of Progress on Goals

    The mentee can share any progress that they’ve made and the obstacles that they’ve encountered. What questions have come up along the way and what solutions or ideas does the mentor have?

  4. Conclusion and Next Steps

    The mentee and mentor can discuss what they’ve learned. How have they made progress on their goals and what surprises have arisen? The mentor can provide potential next steps so the mentee can continue to grow and work towards their goals. If they would like to continue the relationship, they can discuss what that may look like.

  5. Option to Present Your Experiences to the OATUG Community

    If the mentor/mentee would like to present their work through an in-person or virtual presentation, they can do so. This presentation would include what they learned, how they worked together to address work/professional obstacles, and how these conversations will guide their careers’ next steps.